I have been working hard on making a few quilts lately and being in the KC area we have been getting lots of storms. well after the last round of storms around Thursday i think my grandma in law called to check up on us. I got to talking with her and last summer she had bought a long arm. well she is more into making quilts with embroidery and the keep sake type of quilts right now and has only long armed maybe two or three quilts. she said that she was thinking of just dismantling the long arm and shipping it to me. I about wet myself when she said that. I like the dolt that I am told her that she should really get to using it to me. I would love to have a long arm but she should use it right? I really wish that I had told her to go ahead and send it to me but I would feel really really bad taking it. especially with her not using it really and spending a lot of money on it.
what would you guys have said or done? was I really really stupid for telling her to just hold on to it?

Why don't you call G-ma IL and ask her if she was still considering getting rid of the LA. Could you at least offer to pay her for the shipping? No you wern't stupid, you were just being considerate.

I would have said..I'll help pay postage..lol..!!

I think it was really sweet of you to encourage her to use it.
Why not tell her that if she really finds she doesn't use it you'll take it, or buy it or whatever.
But wow, I know what you mean!!!!!!! :)

YOu just encouraged her to try again, which is wonderful. Go for a nice long visit & bring your quilt tops with you! Then, check back in a few months and see how she's doing. I'm sure if she still feels the same way she would still consider the offer. That's how grandmas are!

Call her back, ask if she thinks she will really use it, offer a reasonable price if you can afford to, thank her for it for free if you cannot pay. And then, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. (nothing unkind intended about your Grandma! LOL)

I would have said REALLY... and jumped up and down... Then I would have said your kidding right? Then you could say thank you and offer to pay for shipping or go pick it up before she changed her mind.

Oh man. I would call her and tell her that you would be honored to have it. You must be special to her for her to offer it to you. If the price she paid for it bothers you, tell her you will pay her for it but you would need to make payments. Or you can give me her name and phone number and I will call her and tell her that is what you want for Christmas. LOL (kidding on me calling her). But I would call her and tell her you would be honored and that when the offer was given that you were taken aback and after thinking about it you decided you would take it. But thats me.

No, I don't think you're stupid. You are thoughtful. As you said, she spent a lot of $$ on that machine, and you would feel horrid if she just sent it to you without first insuring it was a machine she really didn't want/need. But I would call her back and just work into the conversation that you'd be happy to take it off her hands and get it out of her way if she is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN she doesn't want it. You may even offer to pay her something for it (perhaps offer to quilt all her tops at no charge in return for the gift?).

I agree it is an incredibly generous offer, but you also don't want to appear to be taking advantage of grannie's better nature.

Now she probably thinks you were telling her very politely you don't want it so don't be surprised if she gives it to someone else.